Professor Zhang Qi gives advice to a patient in his office. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Currently, Zhang Qi makes himself available every Wednesday in his office, providing medical services and advice to patients. He is always ready to answer questions and is known to be patient and professional.

Patients often talk about their illnesses for more than ten minutes, but the professor is patient and tries to offer them appropriate remedies.

"The happiest thing in my life is to work and offer medical services to patients," said Zhang with a smile.

It is hard to make appointments with Zhang, and sometimes those who don't make appointments with him also try to ask for his advice. However, even though he is busy, he never refuses any of them.

"It's hard for them to come from afar, and for me to turn them away," he said.

Meanwhile, for those who write letters or telephone him to ask for medical advice, he is always kind enough to reply and encourages them to be positive and to fight against illnesses.

In 2014, Wang Hongqin, a middle school teacher, had been suffering from a low grade fever for nearly three months before he paid a visit to Professor Zhang. Wang had been to many hospitals to see doctors, but was not able to cure his disease.

After taking the herbal medicine that Professor Zhang gave her, her fever stopped and she felt much better. Her anxiety levels also reduced.

"He spends all day giving medical instructions to his patients, and follows a simple rule – whoever comes to seek medical advice from him will not be turned away, no matter whether or not the patient is rich or poor, a normal citizen or a high-level official," said his wife, Wang Guizhen.

"Our academy should feel proud of Professor Zhang and so should the whole country," said Wang Shun, chief of Heilongjiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The kidney disease department has benefited from Zhang Qi's clinical experience and has become China's biggest TCM kidney disease department with 400 beds for inpatients in nine reserved areas.